From large corporations to small business alike, it’s important to have the skills and know-how needed to protect your brand online. Whether it’s your company’s logo or website design or features, you’ll want to ensure you’re safeguarded from the “borrowers” in competitive business.

Keeping your brand safe is critical to defining your abilities and character. You’ll need robust security in order to network, advertise and market your business or product.

Follow the tips below to ensure you protect your brand in any way that you can:

Name

The name of your business is your brand. It gives customers or business associates a clear-cut picture of who you are. When it comes to online brand defense, try searching through business names to make certain your name is not linked to another brand or company. By follodwing the search step, you’ll have the peace of mind that comes in knowing your name is unique to your brand.

Domain Protection

Your domain’s security should be a top priority. Hackers can hijack domains with a tap of a button, so it’s important that you learn how to keep is under a lock and key. Your domains are serious assets, so make sure that you have around-the-clock shields in place to maintain your business and the reputation of your brand. It’s a good idea to supply your domains with many layers of security, one of which should be a name registrar.

LLC

Having an LLC before registering your can be a great way of protecting your brand online. LLC builds confidence in your clientele and helps you develop a strong and safe presence online. Although the LLC will not offer the same benefits of a Corporation, it offers flexibility of ownership and works perfectly for smaller businesses on the hunt for liability protection.

Protect Your Digital Content

Your company’s digital content needs to be secure from those who wish to steal or change your brand. Whether it be your movies, software, games, music, photos, or anything in-between, you’ll want these to be fully safeguarded at all times. Assess any potential threats to your digital properties, and create a plan that’s designed to keep them safe. Concentrate on the way that search engines may be moving traffic to your site, and make sure these search engines are not providing public access to any of your unauthorized digital content.

Trademark

The trademark will be your brand name. This trademark will comprise any name, word, symbol, or device used to identify and separate your specific goods and services from others. Registering your trademark can sometimes be detailed process, nevertheless, applying the trademark is crucial to keeping your brand properties safe online

National & International Brand Protection

You should expand your national brand protection with your LLC. Having a more comprehensive protection guarantees that any national laws will protect your name, logo, and other company properties online. Registering your domain and trademarking your brand will be significant in protecting you on a national and international level.

Once you’ve completed the steps above, consider patenting your product, name, slogan, etc. The security provided by the U.S. patent system is a key contributor to successful inventions.

You’ll have the ability to keep others from using, selling, or manufacturing anything you’ve created or ideas you’ve conceived. It also ensures that you have sole ownership and can take legal action against others who may try to steal your ideas in any way, shape or form. Visit http://www.uspto.gov/ to learn more about trademark and patent processes and applications.

Note: As important as it is for you to keep your brand safe, give other brands the same respect. Whenever it’s necessary, you need to give credit where credit is due. Even if you borrow a slogan or change it up a bit, you’ll have to find a way to give the author credit for the words or pictures. Furthermore, in order to gain respect for your brand and your company, your ideas should be as original as possible. Cite references when needed and give recognition for anything you borrow from other sites. You’ll expect your brand to be respected so you’ll need to give the same in return. If you come across an image or idea that you like, simply ask the website owner if you can use it. Most will allow this as long as a reference is given. However, if you cannot get permission, it’s best to get back to the drawing board and come up with your own.